


Knowing when to get help

by Rogercat



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Female Maeglin, Fourth Age, Gen, Married Couple, Money, Siblings, Valinor, Winter, dwarven merchants, market
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28323261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/pseuds/Rogercat
Summary: Never try to deceive a Dwarf merchant when it comes to money or a fair paymentChristmas gift for my good friend Lidoshka/Greenapplefreak
Relationships: Maeglin | Lómion & Other(s), Maeglin | Lómion/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Knowing when to get help

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lidoshka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lidoshka/gifts).



Given his past as a slave in Angband, Rûsa generally was happy with a few personal accessories or anything else he liked, and his maternal family knew better than to expect him to accept gifts that were just for show, he had always preferred practical things that could be of use in some form. 

However, when it came to his half-siblings sired by his stepfather Rog, it proved a very different image. Rûsa openly doted on Cúwen, Yuë and little Lówen, even if the youngest sister did not get the same attention as her sibling for the logical reason of the oldest brother having married and moved out the same summer as she was born. 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Today, Maeglin would sell some of her items on a big winter market near the shared “border” between the Noldorin, Vanyarin and Teleri realms. Cúwen had stayed at home in Formenos because her age group was studying for a big test about music that uncle Maglor would have for them, but Yuë had joined the married pair because it was a chance to see more of the world outside home. 

“We seem to be in luck, I believe that it is Narvi's father Balder over there with some other Dwarven merchants!” Rûsa commented when he noticed a familiar family crest somewhere in the crowd as well the deep voices of the Dwarves. 

“Good. If someone is being mean to you at wanting to buy something from the stands, just run over to Balder to tell what is wrong and the seller will have a taste of what a Dwarven merchant can do,” Maeglin requested to her young brother-in-law, who nodded despite not really catching on the unspoken meaning. But Maeglin had witnessed the Dwarven merchants in their natural surroundings at the rare visits with her parents to Belegost and Nogrod in her childhood, so she knew how fearsome those Dwarves could be if someone tried to cheat a customer on more money than what a product was worth. 

  
  


Because he was used to personally doing repairs and the like if something at home broke, Rûsa was not the type to shop a lot, but he found a few nice hair ribbons for his wife to use in the forge so her hair did not risk catching on fire when she worked. Having your burning was a great risk of possible injuries to the head. 

“Should I get one for Yuë too? His hair is growing longer, after all…” 

Suddenly he heard some not too unfamiliar foul language, that sometimes had been aimed towards himself in the past once it came out that he was the son of Maedhros. Whoever it was, that Elf better not be saying those horrible things to his innocent brother. 

  
  


Yuë had really tried to show that he had the right amount of coins for the beeswax candles shaped like flowers and pine cones, but the seller somehow turned really rude when he saw the Fëanorian star on his robe that uncle Caranthir had embroidered this winter for his youngest nephew. Trying not to openly cry in disappointment, Yuë turned around to return to where Maeglin was. 

But she had seen it all, and intended to not let the young Elfling lose the chance to buy something he liked. 

“ ** _Master Balder! There is an ill-mannered Elf seller here who refuses to sell his products to the younger son of lady Maedhros!_ **” Maeglin suddenly called in a loud voice over the crowd in front of her own stand, using Khuzdul to get the attention of the Dwarven merchants not too far away. She knew that in Dwarven society, refusing to sell something to children was not viewed with kind eyes, and this had grown to be the same for the children of Elves and Men too. The beeswax candle seller had no idea what would come to hit him. 

“I hear there is a problem, my lady?” Balder said in Sindarin, yet also with the slightly Eastern accent he had all his life, when he came walking with a few fellow merchants to see why Maeglin had called. 

“The fellow over there refused to let Yuë buy those nice candles made from beeswax, and called him rude names over who his mother is.” 

Balder almost dropped his pipe in shock over what she told him. 

“ **I beg your pardon?!** ” 

Even among the Dwarves who had not lived in Belegost or Nogrod, Maedhros was greatly respected as a warrior and ruling Lady of her own region in the northeastern borderlands of Beleriand, commonly known as the March of Maedhros by history. Beleriand may no longer exist as something for her four children to inherit after her, but they were still shown respect in Dwarven society because of who their mother was. 

“Come on, lad, you will have enough candles to give your whole family as surprise gifts when this is over.”

Maeglin grinned when she saw not only Balder, but several others among the Dwarven merchants bring out their personal balance scales that they used to control that they got the right amount of payment for a product.

“This is going to be _good!_ ” she grinned as they followed Yuë to the stand with the beeswax candles. Sadly she could not witness it because she needed to focus on selling her own products, but she knew that the Elven seller was going to lose. 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Realizing that it was almost time to eat, Rûsa had brought some warm mini pies with various fillings and small sauces for all three to have as lunch with something warm to drink when he returned to where Maeglin was. As such, he did not witness the scene where Balder proved why he had been such a successful merchant in life that Narvi had brought a very impressive dowry with her, a dowry that would have been almost as large as that of a lesser noble family, in the secret marriage to Celebrimbor once they had finished the Doors of Durin together. 

“Did I miss something?” he asked when noting that there was an impressive number of beeswax candles in the small wagon that they had driven to the market with a borrowed draft horse. But judging from how happy Yuë seemed to be, perhaps he had not needed to worry. 

“A good piece of advice that everyone should learn: **_Never try to deceive a Dwarf merchant when it comes to money or a fair payment,_** ” Maeglin smiled at her husband, seeing past him in the background how Balder and the other Dwarves was already doing a control of the right payment for goods on the other stands around. This was going to be a good tale to tell their relatives later when they returned home to Formenos this afternoon. 


End file.
